Seat-post for bicycles.



No. 654,56I. Patenfed July 24, i900. 0. w. BOND.

SEAT POST FUR BICYCLES.

(Application filed Oct. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.)

Attoruy .s

PATENT OSCAR W. BOND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THOMAS A. BANNING, OF SAME PLACE.

sear-Post FOR eleveu zs SFEGZFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,561, dated J 24:, 1900.

Application filed center 16, 1899. Serial No; 733,766. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR W. BOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seat-Posts for Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of seat-posts which is used in connection with bicycles of the safety or rear driven type-a type of bicycle in which there is a diamond or other frame having what is known as a pillar-tube in which the seatpost is insertible-and particularly to the means by which the seabpostis automatically heldin position and adjusted or removed from its position, as will more fully hereinafter ap pear. A

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient seat-post for bicycles formed of two wedges, to one of which is pivoted the seat-post lever by which the post is held in position or removed therefrom; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construc tion hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a portion of a bicycleframe fitted with a seat-post constructed in accordance with my improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional elevations of modified forms of'seat-posts made in accordance with my improvements; and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are plan views of the seat-posts illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that the seat-post formed of two plano-convex wedges is the best type in the art; and the object of my invention is to improve this type by simplifying its construction, reducing the cost of its manufacture, and providing means for making desired adjustments to compensate for wear, so that the seat-supporting lever can occupy at all times a substantially-horizontal plane.

In constructing myimprovements and using them in connection with the pillar-tube A of a bicycle-frame I provide a seat-post formed of two wedges, one of which, E, is tapered downwardly and has its large end at the top, and the other of which, E, is tapered upwardly and has its large end at the bottom,

and which preferably, is formed of two plano convex wedges. These parts may be formed of a tube split diagonally, as shown at b, or of two substantially-semicylindrical wedges which are struck up from appropriate blanks.

To hold the saddle in position and at the same time firmly secure the seat-post in engagement with the pillar-post of the bicycle, a seat-supporting lever O is provided and pivoted at o to the upwardly-tapering member. This seat-supporting lever is preferably formed of a tube flattened at 0, so that it is considerably narrower at this point than it is in diameter at the cylindrical portion to enable it to easily enter a slot in the upper end of the down wardlytapering member. The upwardly-tapering member, in which the seatsupporting lever is pivoted, is preferably provided with a block or flat surface I), which may be brazed therein or formed integral with the wedge by swaging inwardly. The in* Her portion of this block is cut away in its central portion to receive the flattened end of the seat-supporting lever and permit it to be pivoted to the upwardly-tapering member.

As above suggested, the seat-supporting lever is pivotally secured to the upwardlytapering member of the seat-post. At the sides of the slot in the downwardly-tapering member through which the flattened portion of the seat-supporting lever passes I arrange toothed racks D, with the teeth cl projecting forward on the outside of the post, as shown in Fig. 1 On the sides of the flattened portion of the seat-supporting lever I arrange lugs D, adapted to enter the recesses or depressions between the teeth of the racks when the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 1. By pivoting the seat-supporting lever on the upwardly-taperin g member and byhaving its lugs engage with the toothed racks on the downwardly-tapering member any Weight applied to the seat-supporting lever either by the hand or by the weight of the rider will have the effect of forcing the members in that direction which serves to lock the parts in position. The arrangement shown also provides a means for compensating for wear of the parts or the expanding of the pillar-tube.

For instance, should the pillar-tube of the bicycle-frame expand to such an extent that of the seat-supporting lever-can be arranged to engage the next-higher teeth in the toothed racks, and thus compensate for the expansion and permit the seat-supporting lever to occupyat all times when in use asubstantiallyhorizontal position.

When it is desired to remove my improved seat-post from connection with the bicycleframe, all that is necessary to do is to raise by Letters Patent, is-

the seat-supporting lever, which action raises the downwardly-tapering-member of the post, relaxes the wedge connection, and thus per- Inits both parts tobe removed from the pillar tube: or frame.

In Figs. 2- and 3 I haveshown modifications in the application of the same principle or mode of operation. Fig. 2'illustrates a construction in which the racks D instead of having anoutward projection have an inward proj ection, and the lugs are arranged accordingly. The racks may be made of an independent piecebrazed or otherwise secured to the inside of the. downwardly-tapered member of the post, orthe racks may be formed by turning inward the body of the member. Fig. 3 illustratesa construction in which a single rack is located on the downwardly-tapering member of the post and projects inwardly. The seat-supporting lever is bifurcated, and the rackenters into the slot of the bifurcated end. The engaging lug D of the lever is formed, ,preferably, on aseparate piece (2, inserted in the slot of the-bifurcated end of the lever and secured in place by pins or rivets 11 as shown in the drawings, though the lug can beotherwiseformed andsecured in place, if desired. As the bifurcated end of the lever mustbe arranged in two slots in the downwardly-tapering member and the toothed'rack on an intermediate piece between the two slots-andv between the bifurcated members of the lever, it is apparent that it should be prothe other forms of construction.

means in Fig. 3 and indicated the same by the letter c. This piece so engaged forms, as it were, a head on the upper end of the piece i containingthe-toothed,rack,flaring or extend-- ingpartially around the top of the seat-post member B, so that the two slots in the construction shown in Fig. 3 are closed at the top instead of being open slots, as shown in The operation with either form of construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is the same as that described -for the-construction shown in Fig. 1.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure 1. In a seatpost for bicycles, thecomzbijnation of an upwardly-taperingmembe gadownr wa-rdly-tapering member, a. seat-supporting f lever pivoted to the u pwardl y-tapering member and adjustably engaging directly, with the downwardly-tapering; member, substantially as described.

2. In a seat-post for bicycles, the-combina.-

tion of anupwardly-tapering member,a down ward'ly-tapering member, a seatrsupporting lever pivotally secured to the upwardly-tapering member and having anen gaging tooth or lug arranged thereon, and a, toothed rack on the downwardly-tapering member arranged to be engaged by the tooth or lug of the seat-supporting lever, substantially as described.

3. In aseat-post for bicycles, the COIIl'biHB: tionof an upwardly-taperingmember,ad.own-

wardly-tapering member provided with an external rack. having forwardly-projecting; teeth, and a seat-supporting lever pivoted to the u pward'ly-tapering member and provided with a rearwardly-projecting tooth orlug arranged to engage the external forwardlyprojecting teeth. of the rack of the down.-

wa'rdly-tapering member, substantially as. described.

I OSCAR. W. BOND.

Witnesses-2 THOMAS E. MOGREGQR, BELLE W. BARRY- 

